Google Drive symlink

google-drive-symlink.md

To create a symlink to a Google Drive file or document there are a few methods.

You can right click the original file in the Google Drive UI and select Organize and then Add Shortcut

There are also keyboard shortcuts. These shortcuts will change/have changed as of August 1st, 2024. Prior to August 2024 you could select the document you want to symlink, then hit Shift+Z and you'll be presented with a menu to choose the folder you'd like to add a symlink to

After August 2024, the keyboard shortcut is

• For Windows and ChromeOS : Ctrl + Alt + R
• For Mac : Command + Option + R

https://support.google.com/drive/answer/2563044

z_example-google-drive-symlink.png

I knew this was supported by the architecture and could be done with some API magic, but I didn't know it had a GUI. Thank you very much.

not really a symlink, not even a hard link. When you delete it the original also disappears. Not even hard links do that. If you rename 'the link', then the name on the original also changes. I wanted to make a folder of links to 'journal' files found in many other folders. They all had the same name! And if I tried to change the names of the links, then the names on the originals changed.

Thank you for sharing! Is it possible to use the mentioned method with Colab?

Thanks, this still works in 2023!

The shortcut has changed from shift + z to ctrl + alt + r on Windows/ChromeOS and command + option + r on MacOS.
https://support.google.com/drive/answer/2563044?hl=en&visit_id=638520439736323389-818996746&p=docslist_shortcuts&rd=1

@jstangroome Thank! I've updated the gist above to capture this.